NFL Draft Rewind: 2008 Rounds 4-7 plus Grade

In the coming weeks leading up to the April 28th NFL Draft, I will be taking a look at past Bengals drafts during the Marvin Lewis era. Today’s I look back at rounds 4-7 of the 2008 Bengals draft. After a disappointing losing season and back to back near misses of the playoffs, the team still held high hopes that with Palmer, anything was possible. Without Palmer, who was injured in a week 3 loss at the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants, a 4-11-1 disaster occurred. The rest, as they say, is history…

Round 4: Anthony Collins, T, Kansas. Collins has been a decent backup tackle and remains with the team.

Other options: Tashard Choice, the Dallas RB, was taken shortly after Collins.

Round 5: Jason Shirley, DT, Fresno St. Shirley changed positions to guard and was later waived in 2009.

Other options: I would really love to have Tim Hightower, the Cardinals RB who has been a real find out of Richmond taken shortly after Shirley.

Round 6: Corey Lynch, S, Appalachian St. Lynch was a special teams ace before being signed off the practice squad by the Buccaneers.

Round 6 Compensatory: Matt Sherry, TE, Villanova. Two and out for Sherry, he wasn’t the answer at tight end.

Round 7: Angelo Craig, DE, Cincinnati. Craig didn’t make final cuts his first season. He is now playing in the Indoor Football League.

Round 7: Mario Urrutia, WR, Louisville. At 6’7”, Urrutia was a stud at Louisville, and I actually work with his cousin. Sadly, his size and ball skills didn’t translate into NFL success.

Grade: B. The first four rounds were all pretty solid picks, and these players are contributors on the team.